In 2007, Libya’s Organisation for the Development of Administrative Centres (Odac) announced its intention to issue tenders to build a network of 25 new or enlarged universities across the country.

The US’ Hill International was awarded a four-year contract in July to manage the design of the new campuses.

This project is expected to cost between $3bn and $5bn. Hill is also the construction supervisor on Tripoli’s Al-Fateh University expansion project, the largest such project in the world.

The contracts to design the network of 25 universities were split into three packages.

The UK’s BDP - a multi-disciplinary practice of architects, designers, engineers and urbanists - won the contract to design 10 universities in the western region of Libya.

A consortium of UK architectural practices and engineers under the Argus alliance of Arup, Davis Langdon and Keppie Design is working on the design for 12 universities.

Spain’s Idom designed the campus at Misurata and the UK’s RMJM won the contract to design facilities for the 7th of October University at its Bani Walid satellite campus, and for Al-Asmariya University in Zliten.